Commonwealth Crier. News from the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association. President s Message

Transcription

1 Summer 2011 Commonwealth Crier News from the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association President s Message The 2011 golf season is finally on the downswing (in terms of days)! Summer sprang with a vengeance and has brought brutal heat to many parts of the Commonwealth after such a wet spring. Thoughts of aerifiers and seeders dance in our heads as we hope for cooler days. I hope you all are surviving and enjoying some family time along with quality spent with your favorite colored hose, quick coupler, and nozzle. First Congratulations to our Virlina Cup Qualifiers Jeff Whitmire, Matt Sobotka, Jeff Snyder, Dick Fisher, Chester Guzek, Matt Boyce, Andrew McCormick, and Mark Vaughan. The VGCSA Team will be captained once again by our Past President Mr. Eric Spurlock. This year s Tollie Quinn Tournament, the Virlina Cup qualifier, was held at The Federal Club with host GM/Superintendent Trevor Hedgepeth. The Virlina Cup will be hosted by the Carolinas GCSA this year. Best of luck to our VGCSA participants! Second Congratulations to the GWGCSA and SVTA locals for putting on great fundraisers. The GWGCSA held their May BMP event at my place, Goose Creek Golf Club. Congratulations to Chris Paul who had a hole-in-one on the 9th hole with his very last shot of the day! The SVTA held their research event in July at Loudoun Golf and Country Club with Tad Wolford as host. Tad had the golf course in great shape and I can attest that it was an enjoyable day had by all! Congratulations to both associations on holding wonderful events for great industry causes! Third The Wee One Foundation held their annual event this year at Cypress Creek Golfers Club. The event raised money for superintendents who have financial hardships due to illness. Phil Bailey, CGCS hosted this great event and had the golf course in great shape! And fourth Last but not least the Landscape Supply BMP fundraiser held in May at The Water s Edge Country Club. The event was in its third year, initiated by the Connelly family, owners of Landscape Supply Company. Host Jeff Synder had the golf course in tournament shape, great event and thanks to everyone in attendance. Congratulations to Eric Spurlock and Keith Fellenstein and the rest of the Hermitage Country Club grounds staff for achieving designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. Hermitage Country Club is the 27th course in Virginia and the 824th in the world to receive the honor. The VGCSA Board was hard at work this spring and summer. One important item to note would be the VGCSA board voted to approve an investment relationship with Northwestern Mutual Investment Services. Discussions took place at our previous two board meetings on how to better invest our association s funds. We heard from two investment firms and ultimately choose Northwestern Mutual. The conversation was based on the current economic environment and how we could best get the biggest bang for our buck. The initial conservative investment portfolio required a $50,000 investment. The investment will provide a platform to operate the VGCSA and provide future funds to better serve our members and operate as an association. Thank you to the board for providing progressive thoughtfulness to make secure our viability as an association. As always, I would like to take a moment and say THANKS to our 2011 Industry Partners. As you look through your Commonwealth Crier, please take a moment and read our Partner Page (page 9) that has our 2011 Partners listed. I ask, like every year and in every issue of the Crier, that you support them as they have supported us. Partners, without your committed support, we as the VGCSA would not be where we are today. The VGCSA is as committed as ever to providing needed leadership, communication, and benefits to its members and we simply could not do it without support from you. THANKS again! As all of you know, Virginia has some of the finest and best managed facilities in the country. Kinloch Golf Club will be hosting the 2011 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship this September. Mr. Peter Wendt, CGCS asked for your assistance this coming September and many of you answered. Best of luck Peter! And right after the USGA Senior, Cutler Robinson, CGCS and Bayville GC in Virginia Beach will host the USGA Women s Mid-Amateur. We know the golf courses will be in superb condition. This year s Joe Saylor will be held at Creighton Farms on October 31st. This event is our annual Toys for Tots fundraiser. Our annual Assistant s Forum, headed up by Mr. David Callahan, will be held at Dominion Valley Country Club on November 7th. This year s Assistant Forum will sure to be another spectacular event. Look for more information about these two exciting events and mark your calendars! I would like to thank Mr. Matt Boyce, Vice President, Mr. Jeff Holliday CGCS, Secretary/ Treasurer, and Mr. Eric Spurlock, Past President for being such a great board and providing needed leadership at an important time in our industry. I just wanted to let you all know that the team which included me, Dan Taylor, Jeff Holliday, and Eric Spurlock took home first place at the recent CMAA meeting at Hermitage Country Club. This event was a fundraiser for our BMP project and was well attended from folks all over the Commonwealth that hold many different positions at their respective clubs. Well done Gentleman! I could not have imagined a better time with such camaraderie and with such good people. I look forward to playing with you guys soon. I encourage all of you to go to a meeting soon, get out on to a golf course other than your own, laugh a little, and enjoy the game Continued on page 15

2 Save the Dates! October 31, 2011 Joe Saylor Memorial Creighton Farms Golf Club Aldie, VA November 7, 2011 VGCSA Assistants Forum Dominion Valley Country Club Haymarket, VA Assistants Forum set for November 7 The 3rd annual VGCSA Assistants Forum is scheduled for November 7, 2011 and will be hosted by Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket. This year s Forum will once again feature a keynote speaker. Although undetermined at publication time, previous speakers have included Tim Moraghan of Aspire Golf and Mark Kuhns, CGCS of Baltusrol Golf Club. A roundtable discussion with Mark Vaughn CGCS of Goodyear Golf Club, Mark Cote, Superintendent of the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, and Keith Happ, Senior Agronomist with the USGA for the Mid-Atlantic Region will follow the keynote speaker. The education portion of the forum will take place in the morning and will be followed by lunch and an informal golf outing in the afternoon. This is an ideal event for assistant superintendents and their crew members who wish to network with colleagues and further develop their careers. Registration fees will be modest and all inclusive. Mark your calendars for this event, look for additional information on the VGCSA website and in the mail, and we hope to see you in November VGCSA Board of Directors VGCSA Officers President Jeff Berg Goose Creek Golf Club Golf Club Road Leesburg, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: jberg@kempersports.com Vice President Matt Boyce Princess Anne Country Club 3800 Pacific Avenue Virginia Beach, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: mboyce@princessannecc.com Secretary/ Treasurer Jeff Holliday, CGCS Salisbury Country Club Salisbury Road Midlothian, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: jholliday83@msn.com Past President Eric Spurlock Hermitage Country Club 1248 Hermitage Road Manakin-Sabot, VA Ph: / Fax Cell: erics@hermitagecountryclub.com VGCSA External Vice-Presidents Old Dominion Golf Course Superintendents Association Dan Taylor, CGCS Independence Golf Club 600 Founders Bridge Blvd. Midlothian, VA Ph: x116 / Fax: Cell: dtaylor@independencegolfclub.com Tidewater Turfgrass Association Chris Petrelli Cedar Point Country Club P.O. Box 6138 Suffolk, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: cpetrelli@cedarpointcountryclub.com Virginia Turfgrass Association Mark Cote Pete Dye River Course at Virginia Tech 8400 River Course Drive Radford, VA Ph: Cell: mcote@vt.edu Greater Washington Golf Course Superintendents Association Jeff Van Fleet Forest Greens Golf Club 4500 Poa Annua Lane Triangle, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: jefffleet@msn.com Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Association David Lewallen Bowling Green Country Club 53 Southern Drive Strasburg, VA Ph: / Fax: Cell: davekara@shentel.net At-Large Board Members Assistant Superintendent David Callahan Hidden Valley Country Club 2500 Romar Road Salem, VA Ph: / Cell: callahand@cox.net Associate Charlie Fultz Trinity Turf 137 Tyler Drive New Market, VA Cell: charlie.fultz@gmail.com Staff Executive Director David Norman VGCSA Telegraph Road, Suite A Glen Allen, VA Ph x113 /Fax: Cell: DNorman007@aol.com General Counsel M.E. Dick Gibson, Jr. Tremblay & Smith, LLP P.O. Box 1585 Charlottesville, VA Ph / Fax: dick.gibson@tremblaysmith.com 2 The Commonwealth Crier

3 Hermitage CC Recognized for Environmental Excellence The Hermitage Country Club golf courses in Mankin-Sabot have achieved designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. Hermitage Country Club is the 27th course in Virginia and the 824th in the world to receive the honor. Hermitage Country Club has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program. They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property, said Jim Sluiter, Staff Ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs. To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas, explained Sluiter. These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. Dennis Panagopoulos, Chief Operating Officer of Hermitage Country Club agrees that this pinnacle achievement really exemplifies just how much the Club cares about the preservation of our environment and demonstrates that you really can enjoy the great game of golf while being responsible to nature at the same time. Eric Spurlock is superintendent of the Manakin Course, while Keith Fellenstein is superintendent of the Sabot Course. The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resourses. Golf courses from Canada, Africa, Australia, Central America, Europe, Mexico, and Southeast Asia have also achieved certification in the program. For more information on golf and the environment, visit For more information, contact Audubon International, 46 Rarick Rd., Selkirk, NY 12158, (518) , them at acsp@auduboninternational.org, or visit their website at Landscape Supply Tourney Raises Over $9K for BMP Project For the third straight year, Landscape Supply Co. staged a major fundraising event to benefit turf research programs in Virginia. This year s event specifically benefitted the VGCSA s BMP Program to the tune of over $9,000, and The Water s Edge Country Club proved to be great hosts on May 9th. The hard work of the Connelly family, along with the generous support of vendors and superintendents really paid off there were 12 corporate sponsors and 60 players from clubs all over Virginia. The VGCSA would like to thank Kevin and Patrick Connelly, as well as host superintendent Jeff Snyder, and all the generous patrons for this outstanding event! Landscape Supply s Kevin Connelly (left) and Patrick Connelly (center) address the tournament participants. Scenic Water's Edge Country Club (right) hosted the event BMP Winning Team captained by Glen Thompson (R) Summer

4 Whitmire, Sobotka Claim Tollie Quinn Honors The Federal Club Presented by Smith Turf & Irrigation Jeff Whitmire was a familiar victor; however, Matt Sobotka was a rookie surprise in claiming top honors at the 2011 ODGCSA Tollie Quinn Tournament at The Federal Club in Glen Allen. The popular event was again sponsored by Smith Turf and Irrigation, and host GM/ Superintendent Trevor Hedgepeth had The Federal Club primed to perfection on a beautiful spring day. Whitmire claimed the State Superintendent Championship for the second consecutive year, and for the sixth time since The challenging Federal Club course was managed best by Whitmire of The Williamsburg Club, who scored 37 Stableford points (equivalent score 71), to edge out 2009 Champion Chester Guzek of Meadows Farms GC. Guzek eagled his final hole, but was left one point back. In the Assistants Division, it was another tight finish. Sobotka of Spring Creek GC scored 26 Stableford points (equivalent score 82) for a one point victory over J.D. Dickinson of the Kanawha Club. Ironically Dickinson was formerly Brian Vincel s assistant at Spring Creek before Sobotka. The event also served as the qualifier for the Virlina Cup, the new annual Ryder Cup style competition with the Carolinas GCSA, won by VGCSA last year. Four superintendents and one assistant qualified for the team. Team Captain Eric Spurlock announced that Whitmire, Guzek and Sobotka would also be joined by Jeff Snyder of The Water s Edge and Dick Fisher of Lake Chesdin GC, who each scored 32 Stableford points (equivalent score 76). Steve Dorer, rep for presenting sponsor Syngenta, was on hand to congratulate the qualifiers. Spurlock and Dorer will select three more players to form the VGCSA Team to defend the title October 9-11, 2011 in Beaufort, SC. The Tollie Quinn tournament is annually sponsored by Smith Turf & Irrigation. Quinn was the founder of Richmond Power Equipment Company and was a great supporter of superintendents and the turf industry, up to his death in Subsequently STI acquired the successor company, and they continue to celebrate Mr. Quinn s commitment through their sponsorship Tollie Quinn Tournament Champions Matt Sobotka and Jeff Whitmire Smith Turf & Irrigation - Chris Bassett (STI), Eric Frazier (ODGCSA President), John Crain (STI) Tollie Quinn, shown here in his office a number of years before his passing, is memorialized annually for his contributions to the superintendents profession. 4 The Commonwealth Crier

5 VGCSA Team Finalized for 2011 Virlina Cup The Virginia Team will head to sunny Beaufort, South Carolina for this year s edition of the Virlina Cup. The four Superintendent qualifiers from this years Tollie Quinn Tournament are Jeff Whitmire (The Williamsburg Club), Chester Guzek (Meadows Farms GC), Dick Fisher (Lake Chesdin GC) and Jeff Snyder (The Water s Edge). Matt Sobotka (Spring Creek GC) will represent the Virginia Team as the Assistant Superintendent qualifier. Captain Eric Spurlock, along with sponsor Steve Dorer of Syngenta, recently announced the Captain s Picks. Andrew McCormick (Hanover CC), Matt Boyce (Princess Anne CC) and Mark Vaughan (Goodyear GC) will be making the trip in hopes of defending the inaugural victory by the Virginia Team Captain s Picks to round out the VGCSA 2011 Virlilna Cup team (left to right): Mark Vaughan, Matt Boyce, and Andrew McCormick. over the Carolinas Team. The Second Annual event will include a practice round on October 9th, followed by foursomes and four-ball matches at Chechessee Creek Club on October 10th and singles matches at Secession Golf Club on October 11th. Best of luck to our team! Virlina Cup Team - (L-R): Matt Sobotka, Jeff Snyder, Eric Spurlock (Captain), Steve Dorer (Syngenta), Dick Fisher, Jeff Whitmire, Chester Guzek 2011 Virlina Cup Host Courses Secession Golf Club (above) and Chechessee Creek Club (right) Summer

6 SVTA Fundraiser Surpasses Goal at Loudoun G&CC This year s SVTA Fundraiser at Loudoun Golf and Country Club was a tremendous success, with vendors, superintendents and club members stepping up to make this year s event one of the best ever, raising around $5,000. This was about $2,000 ahead of the anticipated results, thanks largely to sponsorships, an excellent turnout, plus tremendous support from club members who made personal contributions. For the first time, the event was a shamble, with players teeing off and selecting the best drive, then everyone playing from that spot. This was a popular format, and a steady breeze kept the conditions nice on an otherwise hot day. Host superintendent Tad Wolford had the course in excellent shape, and everyone enjoyed the layout of this historic course, which opened in Dave Lewallen lining up a putt Mark Merrick of Genesis Turfgrass escapes a tough situation Jeff Berg Vince DiStefano delivers the announcements SVTA Winners - (L-R) Dwayne Watson, Hunter Morrissette, Kurt Hellenga, Layton Jenninngs GWGCSA s BMP Fundraiser Successful at Goose Creek VGCSA President Jeff Berg hosted the GWGCSA s BMP fundraiser at Goose Creek Golf Club in Leesburg on May 24 and netted over $3,000 for this important project. Vendors and teams from Virginia and Maryland showed up to support the cause, and enjoyed a fun day on a sporty, well-conditioned layout which Ben Hogan played in a special event in the 1950s. Bo Jumbercotta and Jeff Van Fleet bested the field in the two-man captain s choice competition. A highlight of the event was a hole-in-one by Chris Paul of Genesis Turfgrass, who aced the par-3 ninth hole. Left to right: Bo Jumbercotta, Jeff Berg, Jeff Van Fleet VGCSA president Jeff Berg congratulates Chris Paul for his Hole-in-One on the par-3 ninth 6 The Commonwealth Crier

7 Turf Research Update for Summer 2011 Dr. Erik Ervin, Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science, Virginia Tech So, what am I up to during my summer vacation? Below is an overview of my golf-turf related trials. Bentgrass NTEPs: We are in our third summer of testing creeping, colonial, and velvet bentgrasses for putting greens and fairways. The putting green test is at the TRC and mowed at 0.125". The 4 or so velvets that are in the trial are successfully being over-run by the creeping bentgrasses, showing they are not properly adapted to even the cooler portions of Virginia. Numbered entries such as LTP-FEC, AFM, V8, and HTM, plus Declaration are outperforming some of the more familiar named cultivars in the trial, including: Penncross, PennA1, PennA2, L93, T1, and Alpha. The bentgrass fairway trial is on the #6 fairway at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech. It is mowed at 0.5" and receives the same maintenance inputs as all other fairways on the course. The colonial bentgrasses in this trial have been melting away each summer due to a combination of poor tolerances to heat stress and brown patch. The clear winners of the creeping bentgrasses are Memorial, 007, Authority, LTP-FEC, and HTM when compared to Penncross, L93, and T1. BMP Guidance Document and Water Quality Monitoring Project: The Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association (VGCSA), the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation (VTF), and Virginia Tech, in cooperation with Virginia governmental agencies and private sector partners, are developing a guidance document entitled Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Environmental Stewardship on Virginia Golf Courses. The guidance document will provide a detailed description of BMP guidelines specifically adapted for golf courses in Virginia using the results of current research, the experience of golf course superintendents in implementing BMPs, turfgrass industry representatives, and State regulators. Widespread adoption of BMPs by golf courses is expected to result in lower nutrient loading to waterways, decreased pesticide usage and runoff, and improved water conservation. Furthermore, the adoption of the published BMPs by Virginia golf courses will help achieve Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) goals established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The guidance document, anticipated to be published in September 2011, will be made readily available in a number of formats to facilitate the adoption of BMPs by golf courses in the state. An important component of documenting the effectiveness of these guidelines will be ground-truthing: monitoring water quality coming in and out of Virginia golf courses within the Bay Watershed that are following a number of the BMPs as recommended in the guidance. Dr. Goatley and I are working with Dr. Stephen Shoenholtz, Director of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center to collect the water quality data on 5 high-profile golf courses within the Bay. I will be making monitoring visits to these courses in July, September, December, and March. Poa control trial with FeSulfate the Irish way: I was lucky enough last October to go on the Turfnet Ireland golf tour and hang out with Greater Washington superintendents Corey Haney, John Burke, and Mike Mueller. Before each round we met with the Greenkeeper and without fail their approach to Poa control was rootzone acidification over time (goal is ph of ~5) by only using ammonium sulfate as their N source; to use less than 2 lbs N/M/yr; to use extremely high rates of Fe-sulfate for color, while getting further acidification; and to use almost no P or K. Further, they always mixed their liquid feed with some kelp extract from the 50 gallon barrel in each shop. Their final three practices included interseeding frequently with mixtures of fine fescue, browntop and highland bents, sanding, and not over-irrigating. The objective of my trial is to use extremely high rates of Fe-sulfate (0.25 to 1 lb/m) to acidify the top layer of soil and disfavor Poa annua; and determine if Fe-sulfate in combination with seaweed extract or paclobutrazol encourage the transition from Poa to mostly creeping bentgrass. This will all be done on plots where foliar ammonium sulfate is the only nitrogen source at 1.8 lbs N/M total per year. This is an approach similar to the Greenway program being touted here in the US. The trial will run from March to November over 4 years. The putting green consists of 45% Poa and 55% Penneagle and is a sandy loam pushup with a starting ph of 7.1 and low soil test P. The Trimitt (paclobutrazol) rate is aggressive at 21 oz/a, with all applications going out on a 2-wk schedule. My colleagues at Penn State, Auburn, and Wisconsin have similar trials going. Our hope is to develop an integrated (nutritional & chemical) Poa control program that is safe. Stay tuned over the next few years for updates. Timing of PGR application on bermudagrass fairways using Growing Degree Days (GDD): Each year Shawn Askew and I present a seminar at GIS called PGRs for Fine Turf. Given our diverse audience, it never fails that we do not have enough information to suit everyone s needs. A particular gap is bermudagrass fairway and green PGR data. This year we presented some excellent research from our colleagues at the University of Wisconsin showing that the hotter it gets, the faster your Primo or Trimitt wear off. They used a GDD model with a 0 oc base showing that best bentgrass/poa green quality and clipping suppression is achieved when you re-apply every 100 to 200 GDD. In a Wisconsin summer this translates to applying the 4-week Primo rate every 5 to 10 days to avoid rebound. These data for cool-season putting greens probably translates ok for VA, but we have no information for bermudagrass. Since we can t have ultra-dwarf putting greens in Blacksburg, we designed an experiment to look at GDD scheduling of PGRs for Patriot and Tifway-419 fairways (0.5 inch). We began PGR applications on May 15, with re-applications occurring at 200, 400, and 600 GDDs. So far this has translated into applying 4-wk label rates of Primo, Cutless, and Legacy every 4-5 days for the 200 GDD trigger, every 8-9 days for the 400 GDD trigger, and every days for the 600 GDD trigger. We take clippings to track yield every MWF which is a lot of work for my 4 assistants on this project. So far the 200 or 400 GDD trigger for Primo on 419 has resulted in the best suppression of 70-80%, with even the 600 Continued on page 15 Summer

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9 Member Profile: Peter Schmidt, Superintendent Shenandoah Valley Golf Club Front Royal, VA Golf holes at your facility: 27 Years at your current golf club: 27 Years as a golf course superintendent: 20 Favorite hobbies: Skiing, Biking, Fishing Favorite professional golfer: I don t follow professional golf. Favorite sports team(s): Penn State football and the Philadelphia Eagles Biggest role model as a professional: Erik Linde he has a great sense of humor. How did you get your start in the golf maintenance profession? Summer job at Saucon Valley Country Club What has been, to date, the most rewarding part of being a golf course superintendent? Relationships with coworkers and others in the industry and watching the course mature over the years. What would be one thing, if you could, change about the golf course superintendent profession? Improve the pay scale to attract and keep the younger generation. In the next five to ten years, what are the biggest challenges we face as golf course superintendents? The economy and downsizing of budgets. Diamond Finch Services Harmon Turf Services, Inc. Landscape Supply Meadowspring Turf & Homefield Fertilizer Quali-Pro Revels Tractor Smith Turf & Irrigation Syngenta Gold Agrium Advanced Technologies BASF Turf Grigg Brothers Fertilizer Harrell's Turf Equipment & Supply Silver Aspen Corporation Aspire Golf Consulting Bayer Environmental Science Buffalo Turbine LLC Buy Sod Cannon's Service Davisson Golf Ditch Witch of Virginia G.L. Cornell Genesis Turfgrass, Inc. Graden USA Inc. PBI Gordon Corporation Thank You 2011 Partner Program Participants! Plant Food Company, Inc. Precision Laboratories Scott Turf Equipment Southern States The Care of Trees Trinity Turf, Inc. Turf & Garden Woodbay Turf Technologies Woodward Turf Farms, Inc. Bronze Coggin Agronomic Solutions Dow Agrosciences Dupont Professional Products East Coast Sod & Seed Egypt Farms Fisher & Son Golf Cart Services (EZ Go) Growth Enhancer Turf Consultants Helena Chemical Innovative Turf Services ITT Flowtronex John Deere Golf Lawn & Landscaping Training & Consultants Lebanon Turf Mini Verde Modern Turf Newsom Seed Peebles Golf Cars R&R Products, Inc. Rick Bryner Golf Sales Solitude Lake Management Synatek Tom Rash Company Turf Works, LLC Valent Professional Products Williamsburg Environmental Group WinField Solutions Yamaha Golf Cars of VA Golf Aquatrols Cleary Chemical FMC Professional Solutions Hydro Solutions, Inc. IGM M&M Consulting Terra Vea Research Chantilly Turf Farms Nonprofit MAAGCS USGA Green Section Virginia Turfgrass Council VGCSA would also like to thank the sponsors of the 2011 GCSAA Social Event with our partners MAAGCS and ESAGCS: Presenting Sponsors - BASF, Finch Services (John Deere), Nutramax, Quali-Pro, G.L. Cornell, Syngenta Supporting Sponsors - Bayer, Landscape Supply, McDonald & Sons, McDonald Design Group, Mid-Atlantic Dry-Ject, Turf Equipment and Supply Co. Friends - Coggin Agronomic Solutions, Davisson Golf, Herod Seeds, Hydro Designs, Tom Rash Co., Plant Food Company, Winfield Solutions Summer

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11 Golf Course Documentation in 3D New mapping technologies improve operations and renovations. Golf courses are intensively managed landscapes requiring substantial inputs of expertise, labor, materials and energy. The challenge of maintaining healthy turf is additionally complicated by environmental and budget constraints. To inform critical operational decisions, superintendents rely on professional training, site experience, management records and facility maps. Maps are important documents of the physical assets of the golf course for many reasons. Typical sources for the facility s map are the original design plans, as-builts mapped by GPS, or aerial photo mapping. Area measurements taken off the course map are used throughout operations for agronomic applications, contracting services, ordering materials and planning budgets. Also important are distances and locations of drainage, irrigation and other course system assets that are plotted on these maps. New mapping technologies offer higher accuracy and capture new dimensions of the course, providing superintendents with better information to work with. Existing as-built maps produced by resource-grade GPS or aerial mapping can have 5-30% errors in positions and areas. This error introduces uncertainty in management equations and tends to result in overages in applications and costs. Survey-grade GPS, accurate to the inch, and laser-based instruments now enable the golf course to be mapped accurately and rapidly. A primary benefit is that area measurements are then effectively 100% accurate. Establishing this precise quantity baseline is especially important now with pressures to cut agronomic inputs and costs. Also, the position of system assets, above and below ground, can be exactly located, and recovered, minimizing excavation damage and disruption of play. The new facility map is, of course, created in digital form, for easy storage, access, editing and sharing. The map software may also include analysis functions, and the map can be used in Modeling of Ballyhack s 18th green reveals subtle shapes and distinct cupping areas. the field on handheld GPS computers, including Smartphones, as well as hardcopy. The latest mapping technology the 3D Laser Scanner enables the complex shapes and subtle slopes of the golf course (the design asset) to be mapped. More accurate than GPS, and able to map millions (literally) of topographic points in a day, the laser scanner can produce a virtual model of a golf course in high definition. There are numerous applications for the 3D golf course model. The first one of interest to designers is the ability to generate a true (not interpolated) green s surface map showing slope classes which are essential to know for re-design with newer faster hybrid turf varieties. Superintendents appreciate the true shapes, areas and slopes of the green and this information is used to produce the most complete pin rotation schedule that allows for turf recovery, shot values and reduces uncertainty (and controversy) in determining pinable areas and fair hole locations. These greens models are also essential information in planning careful renovations and enabling faithful restorations. Using this new information can resolve most concerns about losing the original character of the green in the renovation process because the true character of the green is well documented. Consider how such a document would have benefited the restoration of Pinehurst #2. Extensive searching for remaining plans and photographs gave clues to the original design. But accurate as-builts were not available then, and so, interpretation was required. Future restorations of classic and newer courses will have the benefit of accurate 3D modeling to work with making restorations much easier and less costly. In the future, 3D documentation of all courses will build a library of materials for all students of the game. Davis Wildman is CEO of TerraVea, VGCSA s newest corporate partner. Summer

12 I recently switched to red because I believe STI and Toro provide me with the best equipment and support for my maintenance operation, and that made my decision an easy one. Kevin McIntire, Lexington Country Club We re asking our customers why they chose STI and Toro for their maintenance and irrigation equipment needs... Many have said it was having dedicated mobile service with certified technicians that come to them when they need them. Others said it was STI s huge investment in parts inventory to ensure they get the right parts when they need them. Some customers said it was the most innovative, productive and reliable equipment in the industry, while others credited the knowledgeable sales representatives or the long history of customer care, support and dedication. So tell us what s important to you and we ll find a way to deliver it. Smith Turf & Irrigation. Built to our customers exact specifications. Office Orders Your online resource for golf and the environment: EDGE gives superintendents and other golf course professionals practical answers to many environmental issues in an easy-to-use online database. EDGE offers: Practical solutions to environmental issues Resources for presentations, reports, research or interviews Information developed by professionals and experts within the golf and environmental industries You ll find: Best management practices Case studies Featured topics include: Integrated plant management Water management Energy and waste management Technical information Wildlife habitat management Siting, design and construction Visit to learn more about EDGE. Supported in part by a grant from The Toro Foundation. The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of GCSAA 12 The Commonwealth Crier

13 News from Local Associations News from the GWGCSA It is with grave despair that I must report the passing of another child in the Greater Washington family. On June 17, Mark Murphy, GCS at General s Ridge Golf Club, lost his son Ryan. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Murphy family on this tragic loss. Please know that we are here for your support. If there is anything the Greater Washington or VGCSA can do to help, please let me know. Let this be a reminder to everyone: Life is short, make the most out of it. Our golf season started out with a joint meeting with the MAAGCS in April at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms. The format of the event was Superintendent/Professional. Kudos goes out to Stephen Britton, Tim Connolly, Steven Walls and the entire staff for outstanding course conditions and a fine event. Additional thanks go out to Theresa Baria for all her help and continued support. Congratulations go out to Scott Furlong, CGCS, and Carrie Sciorra from Robert Trent Jones Golf Club for bringing home the trophy. In the month of May, Goose Creek Golf Course played host to the BMP fundraiser (see article and photos on page 6). A huge thanks goes out to Jeff Berg, Rob Howells, Adam Engley, Jim Christy and the entire staff at Goose Creek for an exceptional day. Congratulations to the winning team of Jeff Van Fleet and Bo Jumbercotta. Of course, it is always nice to win and provide a little beat down. Congratulations also go out to Chris Paul from Genesis Turfgrass for a hole in one. The month of June featured the North/ South Challenge at Pendelton Golf Club. In spite of the hot weather, Mark Price and the staff at Pendelton had the course in beautiful shape. Additional thanks go out to Larry Cosh from Finch Services and Andy Lutz from Revels Tractor for the food and beverages. Attendance from the Greater Washington was embarrassing at best. I must admit, after many years of experimenting, the ODGCSA finally found a winning formula. We will see you next year. Please mark your calendar for a joint meeting with MAAGCS at 1757 Club on September 20. In closing, if anyone is interest in viewing the Commonwealth Cup, it will be residing in Scott Furlong s office at RTJ. After as many years as I can remember, the team of Bo Jumbercotta, Scott Furlong, Steve Slominski and Mike King brought home the goods. Nice job. Good luck for the rest of the season. Jeff Van Fleet GWGCSA External Vice President VTA News Summer is here with a vengeance. As I sit writing, the AC in the shop and office is down and the temperature is on the way up and humidity is staying high. This is becoming the norm even in the mountains of Southwest VA. The good news is so far the rain has come on a somewhat regular basis. On a positive note we have had a good meeting season so far. Peter McDonough spoke regarding the BMP project and other legislative issues facing us in the future. Peter has been crisscrossing the state in an effort to make all aware and should be commended for his work and effort on this subject. The VTA provided free lunch for this meeting in an effort to boost attendance and we had a decent turnout. We will be discussing these subjects in most of our upcoming meetings in an effort to provide as much information as possible to our membership. I would encourage all members in Southwest VA to attend at least one of our meetings in order to be current on what will be required for the future. Mark Cote VTA President Wee One Foundation Event Raises Money for Important Cause The Wee One Foundation event took place July 18th at Cypress Creek Golfers Club. The event raises money to support superintendents who have financial hardship due to illness of themselves or a family member. Phil Bailey, CGCS hosted the event at his club, which donated all green fees and cart fees to maximize the benefit to the Foundation. The event memorializes Wisconsin superintendent Wayne Otto, CGCS (so named the Wee One by a Scottish caddie), who died of cancer after a long battle in The team of Tom Rash, Ryan Dwyer, Cutler Robinson and Sam Coggin won the Captain s Choice event. Thank you sponsors and players! Host Phil Bailey of Cyprus Creek Golfers Club prepares the brats 2011 Wee One Winners Tom Rash, Ryan Dwyer, Cutler Robinson, Sam Coggin Summer

14 News from Local Associations SVTA Update The summer of 2011 has arrived in the Shenandoah Valley with hot and humid conditions. So far we have not had a repeat of last summer with constant temperatures of 90 and above. We are, however, entering this summer with a rainfall deficit. We have had strong thunderstorms producing hail, heavy rain, high winds and lightening, leading to damages on our golf courses. It seems rounds have been steady in the Valley when the weather has been favorable. In observation, senior players appear to make up the majority of the rounds being played, only drawing more attention to the need for finding ways to attract kids and younger players to the game. The SVTA sent four golfers from the qualifier tournament we had in May at The Woods Golf Course to play in the VTC Research Tournament at Wintergreen News from the ODGCSA The ODGCSA has had a very active spring, full of thank you s and congratulations. Lets start with the Tollie Quinn contested at The Federal Club on May 2. Congratulations to Jeff Whitmire for once again claiming individual honors. In addition, Dick Fisher, Jeff Snyder, Chester Guzek and Matt Sobotka qualified to represent us in the Virlina Cup to be held this fall. Thanks go to Smith Turf and Irrigation for sponsoring this event and Trevor Hedgepath for the immaculate conditions. On June 7 our members came out to help support the Bob Ruff Research Tournament held at Wintergreen Resort. Congratulations to the entire VTC, Tom Tracy, and Fred Biggers for putting on another great event that raised thousands of dollars to benefit us all. Special thanks go to all of our suppliers for their tremendous financial support. On June 9 the ODGCSA participated in the Virginia Agribusiness Council Annual Legislative Golf Tournament. We entered a team that consisted of Dan Resort. We were represented by Ed Eagle, Mike Sprouse, Tim Suess and Kevin McIntyre. The SVTA team shot 10 under and tied for first with the GWGCSA. Congratulations to all that played in the tournament and a BIG THANK YOU to those who were sponsors! The SVTA had its annual fundraiser at Loudon Golf and Country Club on July 12. (See article and photos on page 6.) Our August meeting will be at Waynesboro Country Club on August 25. I hope everyone has a productive summer full of play and great weather! David Lewallen SVTA External Vice President Larry Cosh of Finch Services & Andy Lutz of Revels Tractor manned the grill at the North-South Taylor, Dick Fisher, Patrick Connelly, and Mr. Jim Cheng, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Peter had the course in great shape and it certainly was a pleasure to play from Dick s tee shot in the middle of EVERY fairway. The North-South was contested with the GWGCSA at Pendelton Golf Course on June 21. Thanks to Mark Price for being a gracious host. Also, thanks to Revels Tractor and Finch Services for sponsoring TTA News The TTA has seen a busy spring, and now we are mired in a sizzling heat wave, where it s all hands on deck to protect our courses. Recently we have had some excellent events though. In May we had a nice program on Ultra dwarf bermudagrass presented by Hank Kerfoot of Modern Turf and Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech. Colonial Heritage in Williamsburg was an excellent host.in June we reconvened the annual favorite, the Dick Cake Invitational at Elizabeth Manor. Our Past President Rob Wilmans played host thanks Rob! We had two nice events in July the Wee One Foundation and the Norfolk Tides game. Phil Bailey put on a great show for the Wee One at Cypress Creek, including acting as personal chef, grilling burgers, brats and sweet corn for all the players. Attendance was a little off, but thanks to the generous sponsors, a lot of money went to the charity, which honors Wayne The Wee One Otto, CGCS, who passed away in 2004 after a bout with cancer. The Foundation helps superintendents who experience financial hardship due to an illness in the family. At the Norfolk Tides game, Steve Dorer of Syngenta was sponsor, and superintendents were invited to bring their families as guest of Syngenta thanks a lot Steve! Our next big event will be the Nags Head golf outing in September. Be on the lookout for our periodic nine-hole events too. And most of all, try to stay cool! Chris Petrelli TTA External VP Cedar Point Country Club this event. One last congratulations go to the participants from the ODGCSA, as we easily handled our competition. Dan Taylor, CGCS External President ODGCSA 14 The Commonwealth Crier

15 President s Message cont. that we have the privilege of maintaining it is time ladies and gentleman! The Best Management Practice guide is coming along very nicely. We just finished our second reading in July at Hermitage Country Club. Many notes were taken and the conversation turned towards the importance of distributing this important document to club decision makers and operators. A final version is well within sight and on schedule for this fall. I would like to Thank our BMP Committee: Walter Montross, Cutler Robinson, Dick Fisher, Jeff Snyder, Christian Sain and our Chairman Peter McDonough for all their hard work and dedication to this important project. I would also like to thank everyone involved with Virginia Tech Turfgrass and our other many contributors. Congratulations also goes out to our committee on their success on House Bill 1831 and Senate Bill 1055 as Governor Bob McDonnell will sign the agribusiness bills passed by the 2011 General Assembly at a ceremony on August 11 at 1:30 pm at Brookmeade Sod Farm in Hanover County. All are welcome to come as representatives from the VGCSA will be in attendance. As we press on with the many issues and challenges we face as an industry it is important to stand together and speak with one voice. If anything should come up in the near future, please get a hold of anyone of us on the board we are simply here to help and provide you the best organization we can. I would finally like to wish each of you a successful finish to the 2011 golf season. I look forward to seeing you all at the next VGCSA or local association function. All the Best! Fairways and Greens, Jeffrey L. Berg VGCSA President Research Updates cont. GDD trigger averaging 50% suppression. Legacy at 200 or 400 GDD has provided 60% suppression, with Cutless providing 25% or less suppression at all 3 GDD triggers. So far it looks like re-applying every 400 to 600 GDD (or every 8-14 days) is the way to go. Industry projects: We are also staying busy testing products or product enhancements for companies such as Ajinomoto USA: an amino acid-based foliar fertilizer called GreenNcrease; for Lebanon Turf: biological packages mixed with their fertilizer lines to possibly increase heat and/or drought tolerance of cool-season turf; and Syngenta: stress-response trials for product enhancement. VT Turf Field Days: Please try and attend our VT Turf Field Days on August 30 (golf and evening Q&A with professors) and August 31 for field day talks on some of the above topics and more! Please visit to register. Rounds4Research a Success for BMP Program Thanks to the donations of 84 clubs in Virginia, over $10,000 was raised to support the BMP Program through Rounds4Research, an online auction program in partnership with the Carolinas GCSA. Here are the participating clubs, and VGCSA would like to thank our member superintendents, as well as GMs and PGA professionals, for their support of the program! 1757 Golf Club Bassett Country Club Belmont Country Club Birdwood Golf Course at UVA Birkdale Golf Club Blacksburg Country Club Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club Boonsboro Country Club Botetouet Golf and Swim Club, Inc. Bowling Green Country Club Brandermill Country Club Bristow Manor Golf Club Bryce Resort Cedar Point Country Club Colonial Heritage Golf Club Cypress Creek Golfers Club Dogwood Trace Golf Course Dominion Valley Country Club Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club Farmington Country Club Fawn Lake Country Club Ford s Colony Country Club Forest Greens Golf Club Gauntlet Golf Club General s Ridge Golf Course Golden Eagle Golf Club Golden Horseshoe Golf Club Goodyear Golf Club Goose Creek Golf Club Hanover Country Club Heritage Oaks Golf Course Hermitage Country Club Independence Golf Club Ingleside Resort Keswick Hall at Monticello Kingsmill Resort Lake Chesdin Golf Course Lake of the Woods Lakeview Golf Club Lambert s Point Golf Club Laurel Hill Golf Club Lee s Hill Golf Club Lexington Golf & Country Club Lonesome Pine Country Club Loudoun Golf & Country Club Mill Quarter Golf Course Nansemond River Golf Club Pendleton Golf Club Pete Dye River Course Pleasant Valley Golfers Club Primland - The Highland Course Prince William Golf Course Princess Anne Country Club Providence Golf Club Reston National Riverfront Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Rock Harbor Golf Club Salisbury Country Club South Riding Golf Club Spring Creek Golf Club Springfield Golf and Country Club The Club at Creighton Farms The Foundry Golf Club The Homestead Resort The Osprey s Golf Club The Shenvalee Golf Resort The Tartan Golf Club The Waterfront Country Club The Water s Edge Country Club The Westlake Golf and Country Club Traditional Golf Club at The Crossings Traditional Golf Properties - Brickshire / Royal New Kent Traditions at Kiskiack Golf Club Traditions at Stonehouse Trump National Golf Club Two Rivers Country Club Virginia Oaks Golf Club Virginia Tech Golf Course Westfields Golf Club Westham Golf Club Willow Oaks Country Club Winchester Country Club Wintergreen Resort Summer

16 Protect from root to leaf tip with one defensive play. Other strobilurin fungicides make you choose which defense to play: control of soilborne diseases or control of foliar diseases. Heritage fungicide not only moves into leaves and sheaths upon application, but also moves from the soil into the roots and translocates upward where soilborne diseases begin. Defend against both with Heritage. To learn how, visit HeritageTurfDefense.com. To learn more about Heritage, contact your local territory manager: Steve Dorer: Sam Camuso: Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 410 Swing Road, Greensboro, NC Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using this product. The label contains important conditions of sale, including limitations of remedy and warranty. Heritage and the Syngenta logo are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.